OMAHA, Neb. – Simon Krych was barely 200 pounds when he was playing for St. Cloud Apollo.

Thing have changed since 2011. The 6-foot-9 center dedicated himself in the weight room and was up to 245 pounds by the end of his sophomore season at Division I Nebraska-Omaha in March.

"I was a measly 200 pounds at Apollo," Krych said with a laugh. "I hit the weight room. It's my life now. I love lifting and getting my body in shape. I knew I had to gain weight after high school. I really focused on it during my redshirt year. I've gotten a lot stronger."

Krych has decided to transfer from Omaha to be closer to home at Division II St. Cloud State. Krych confirmed the move on Wednesday night. He visited the SCSU campus last weekend and liked what he saw with new St. Cloud State head coach Matt Reimer. He wasn't recruited by St. Cloud State coming out of Apollo.

"I wanted to be closer to home and I wanted my family and friends to see me play in my last two years," Krych said. "I know St. Cloud State really well and their coaching staff from playing at their camps.

"I missed my family. It wasn't anything too bad, but it will be nice to have that support system around."

Krych, who will be a junior, averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds a game in just 7.2 minutes per contest off the bench last year for Nebraska-Omaha. But he shot 56.8 percent from the field when he was on the court. He had a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds against Iowa Wesleyan last Nov. 30.

Krych credited Omaha assistant Randall Herbst for helping him improve his game. He initially committed to playing for Herbst at the University of Mary (N.D.) when Herbst was the head coach at the NSIC school in Bismarck. But Herbst accepted an assistant job at UNO and Krych followed him there.

"Coach Herbst helped me with my post moves and my overall game," Krych said. "I've become a better shooter for a big guy. That's really helped me strengthen my game. He gave me a foundation of how to be a good post player while using my weight to my advantage.

"You can't take any days off if you want to be successful. I'm definitely a different player now."

Playing Division I was always Krych's dream, but he wanted a new challenge with the Huskies.

"I have no regrets about going to Omaha," Krych said. "It's every kid's dream to play D-I. I can say I tried it and gave it my best. Playing time wasn't an issue for me. I contributed when I got my chance. This is a great school with great coaches. It was just time for me to come home."

Krych played against Fort in high school and knows SCSU swingman Scottie Stone from their AAU days. He followed the Huskies from afar and likes the way the team is shaping up for next season.

"I think James and I can really compete with the bigs in the NSIC," Krych said. "I want to help this team get back to the playoffs. I watched James on some highlight tapes when I visited. He has some ridiculous bounce. He's gotten a lot bigger since high school, too."